going from 1 to 2

It seems like a lot of my friends have just had number two or are expecting their second child soon. I thought I would share what I did to help the transition of becoming a big sister for my daughter. Her birthday was two months before my son was due and she received a bitty baby (American Girl) doll as a gift. Since I was having a scheduled c-section and knew I was going to be in the hospital for 4-5 days I bought small gifts for my daughter - from her new brother- for each day that she visited me in the hospital. I put them in take out containers and labeled them each with a number. Then before she came to see us each day I pulled out the box and left it for her to open. Inside the first box was an "I'm a big sister" t-shirt that I got here. The note read "I know you are going to be a fantastic big sister! Love, Finn." For the following days I got her small things for her baby doll. The second box had a blanket for her doll. The third box had a little stuffed lambie (my daughter has a stuffed lambie that she used to carry around with her everywhere) with a note that read "because every baby needs a stuffed lambie." The fourth box had some new pj's for her baby doll. She loved the gifts from her little brother and she adores him to this day.

Another idea that is similar to the doll is to have your first born go to Build-a-Bear to make a new teddy for himself and maybe one for his new sibling too. Then the gifts could be new items for his bear. They have diapers, bibs, and even booties available for the bears! Later this week I'll share a gift I gave to a friend using this similar idea.